


Disturbing the Piece

by Icarus_Flying_Not_Falling



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: And David singh popping up, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt!Barry, Hurt/Comfort, OF, Poor Barry, a trend is emerging in my writing, as you can see
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-13
Updated: 2018-01-13
Packaged: 2019-03-04 02:12:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13354329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Icarus_Flying_Not_Falling/pseuds/Icarus_Flying_Not_Falling
Summary: Barry's apartment is robbed and while outside the place, Singh overhears a very interesting conversation.





	Disturbing the Piece

**Author's Note:**

> Still don't know what this is. But here you go, the lovely person who commented on my last fic saying they loved reading my hurt!barry. Once more, David Singh has my heart.

“Allen! My office, now.”

Barry sighed. Sure, he was half an hour late, but he was hoping he would be able to get to his lab before Singh caught him. Now, looking at the man glaring at him from across the building, he gathered his courage and made his way to the man’s office.

As he entered the room, Singh sat at his desk, gesturing for Barry to join him in the seat opposite. Reluctantly, Barry did so.

“Now Allen, you know you’re good at your job, but that doesn’t excuse you to just stroll in late every day. I don’t suppose you would be able to explain your absence from work?”   
Singh huffed quietly to himself. The day Barry gave a good explanation for being late was the day that Leonard Snart did something nice for someone else. Barry did not disappoint.

“No sir, just…was late, I guess?” 

Some days, Singh wanted nothing more than to retire and never deal with having people working under him ever again. He was about to dismiss his CSI to finally get to his job, but then he noticed something. On Allen’s neck, partially hidden by his rumpled collar, was a long cut which looked like it had only recently stopped bleeding. Now Singh was alert. He gave the oblivious young man a once over to really notice him. He saw a few stray blood splatters on his button-up shirt, saw bruises in the shape of hand-prints littering his arms, and ruffled hair; hair that looked like it had been grabbed tightly. The captain took a steadying breath. As much as he tried to hide it, he cared for the kid a great deal. And now Barry had been attacked.

“Okay Barry, want to try that again? How about you skip the lying and get to the bit where you were attacked.”

Barry flinched slightly, curling into himself.

“I wasn’t attacked, Captain. Just late.”

Singh tried to sort through his thoughts. Firstly, why would anyone on God’s green earth want to hurt Allen, who was probably the most innocent and pure hearted person Singh had ever encountered. And more to the point, why was Allen denying it? 

“Allen please, I’m not stupid. I can see pretty clearly that you’ve been attacked. So just talk to me here.”

Barry seemed to consider his words for a few moments then, somewhat reluctantly, he nodded. 

“I was…I guess my house was broken into? I was out early this morning on a run and then I got home and these six or seven guys had smashed in my windows and took all my furniture. I caught them on their way out so they roughed me up a bit and then left with my stuff.”

As he spoke, Barry blushed and fiddled with his shirt, looking ashamed. Even though Singh knew that many people who had been a victim to a crime often felt ashamed for not stopping it, the other part of him was in disbelief that Allen would feel ashamed of it. A large number of men, all probably bigger and stronger than Allen, had destroyed his house and attacked him. Meaning no disrespect to Barry, but Singh considered him the most defenceless person in the precinct. And now for the question he wasn’t sure he wanted an answer to.

“Okay Barry, could you please specify what you mean by ‘roughed you up a bit’?”

“Oh, well, you know.”

Barry was clearly avoiding the question. Singh didn’t even need to say anything for Allen to know that wouldn’t be enough. The look his captain was giving him was all he needed.  
“Um so I ran into my apartment and all these guys are there. So they sorta circle me and one of the guys behind me grabs my arms so I couldn’t move them. And then another threw some punches, another one got some kicks in. And uh, then the guy holding my arms let them go and grabbed my hair and held a knife to my throat until the others all were ready to go.”

Singh winced. That wasn’t a pretty description by any means, and he was furious that someone had done that to Allen.

“And how are you feeling? I want honesty here.”

Barry smiled slightly. 

“Actually, I feel fine. A little bruised by overall I’m fine.”

“Right well, I’m here for you to talk to. Have you told anyone else?” Barry raised an eyebrow and Singh suddenly remembered Joe and Iris and how fierce they were to behold when Barry was involved. “Sorry, stupid question. You do realize that I’m going to be writing a report up, don’t you?”

Barry paled suddenly. “NO! Please don’t! It’s fine, I’m all good, no harm done!”

“No harm done?” Singh demanded. “Your furniture has been stolen! You had a knife to your throat! That is all harm done! I have gotten the facts of the case from you, and I’ll be writing them up. I will also be sending another lab worker down to your apartment to pick up evidence. And that is final, Allen.”

Barry looked sullen but nodded, standing up and leaving the room. The Captain wondered to himself why Barry was so reluctant to have this reported. He was a CSI, surely he knows the importance of reporting crimes. With a sigh, Singh opened a file and began working on the report.

 

As soon as the work day was over, Barry had cleared out of the precinct with remarkable speed. This made sense to Singh, because he knew that it was only a matter of time that Joe found out about the attack, which was now in the precinct database. And that would lead to Iris finding out. Still, despite how desperate Barry was for no one to find out, he had seen something in the boy’s behaviour that day. His eyes held the tiniest bit of fear, and throughout the day, Singh had seen him flinch at loud noises, or whenever anyone snuck up behind him. David Singh had been on the force for a long time. He knew it wasn’t healthy to let feelings like that brew. So he ignored his brain, screaming at him to not let his softer side show. And that was how he ended up picking up two hot chocolates from Jitters and making his way to Barry’s house after work. He would offer some comfort, make the kid feel safe in his own house again, and maybe find a way of helping the kid clear up his apartment a bit.

When the got to the place, he drew in a deep breath. No window had been left intact, and he could see that inside the apartment, no effort had been made to clean up the glass yet. And the kid hadn’t been lying about all his furniture being taken. While his personal items all still seemed to be there, the kid didn’t even have a mattress left in his house. Singh felt his heart ache. If he had his house left like this, he’d be devastated right now. His hand raised to knock on the door. He could see Barry sitting on his kitchen counter, shoulders slumped and defeated. By the thrown open cupboards, all his food was gone too. Just as he was about to connect his fist with the door, a familiar voice called out in the house.

“Kid, this is a bit of a mess you’ve gotten yourself into, isn’t it?”

Barry nearly fell off the counter in surprise and Singh drew in a sharp breath and cursed himself for not bringing his gun. What on earth could Leonard Snart be doing at his CSI’s house? Hadn’t the kid had a bad enough day? Apparently Allen agreed with Singh because he half-heartedly glared at the villain. Singh had to say, he was impressed by Allen’s guts. Most police officers were scared of Snart, but here the CSI was, sitting fearlessly on the counter as Leonard Snart rounded the corner and walked into the room, closely followed by Mick Rory. 

“Look, can you leave? I’ve had a bad enough day without you adding to it.” Barry called to him in frustration. Singh’s eyes narrowed in anger as Snart smirked in response.  
“And that, Bartholomew, is exactly why we are here.”

This through Singh for a loop. How did Snart know his name? And then a horrible thought occurred to him. Had Barry been involved in a case against Snart or Rory? Were they seeking revenge? 

“Look, if you’re here to rob me, you’re out of luck. Besides, I thought your sights were a little higher than recently broken into apartments? Or are you just a worse thief than I recall?”

David decided this boy must be suicidal. No one got away with speaking to Snart like that. But instead of shooting a deadly shot from his cold gun, Snart threw back his head and laughed. Even Mick snorted, before walking across the room to sit on the ground beside the kitchen counter. And once more, Barry didn’t look scared.

“You got me there kid. I read a police report saying you had your stuff stolen and were hurt. Decided to see for myself what the truth of it was. And to see how badly hurt you were. Can’t have you dying now, can we?”

David couldn’t believe his ears. It sounded like Snart actually cared about what had happened to Barry. But why did he consider the kid important enough to know about, much less interact with?

“Is that to say that you were…worried about me? Oh my hero!” Barry cried out mockingly, falling into a fake swoon. Singh didn’t know why he thought Barry was easily scared, but he didn’t expect the kid to be braver than the rest of the precinct put together. A small smile passed over his lips, despite the danger of the situation. The smile immediately faded when Mick suddenly glared at Barry and grabbed him by the scruff of the shirt, lifting him off the counter and into his lap. Barry glared heatedly back at him and David wondered how on earth he was going to get Barry out of his current situation.

Mick began tugging roughly at Barry’s shirt, slipping it over the boy’s head, despite his protests and attempts to get away. Singh felt sick. Was Rory going to…to force himself on Barry? 

But instead of leaning in to kiss Barry, or make a grab at him, David was shocked to see him gently caress one of the bruises on Barry’s ribs.

“They banged you up pretty badly, Doll.” He whispered softly. Len had made his way forward so he crouched down next to the two and ran his fingers along the cut on Barry’s neck.

“Were you scared?” Len’s voice was gentle, a sound which Singh had never heard before. 

“Like I’d tell you shit, Snart. Now let me go, both of you. I just want to sleep.” 

Neither man paid him any attention. Instead, Mick tightened his grip on him, and Len surveyed the wreckage that was the room, glaring at every space that a piece of furniture had once sat.

“Listen here Allen. We aren’t leaving. You got hurt by some scumbags. They know where you live, and your house is vulnerable. Furthermore, not to insult you Scarlet, but you look scared and exhausted. So we’re sticking around.”

So, David thought, their plan is to take advantage of Allen while h’s vulnerable. I’ll be sure to arrest them for this. They were probably behind the robbery, setting all this up.

Barry stared up at Snart for several minutes with wide, disbelieving eyes. Snart sighed and took Barry’s face gently in his hands.

“Come on kid. Who am I going to tell if you get upset? There’s no harm in it.”

Singh was no where near convinced, which is why he was shocked when he saw tears forming in Allen’s eyes, and the boy suddenly leaning forward to throw his arms around Snart. Though Snart looked confused, he wrapped his arms firmly around the boy, sliding him from Mick’s lap to his own.

“There we go, let it out, I’ve got you. No one’s going to hurt you. Not while I’m around. Talk to me, Red.”

Barry managed to choke out a weak response from where he had hidden his head in Len’s shoulder.

“I just – why do I feel scared? I’ve seen scarier things! I’ve faced worse things! It’s just that, well, I don’t know how I’m going to replace all this stuff. Joe’s kind of tight on money right now, so I don’t want to go to him for help! But I don’t have enough to pay rent on the place and to get everything. And besides, they took most of my money that I had as well. And the windows will cost so much and what if they come back when I’m sleeping or something? I’m sorry, that all sounds so stupid! Please just leave, this is so embarrassing!”

Snart rubbed soothing circles in his back as the boy dissolved into more panicked sobs. He looked about to reply when Mick cut him off. David rolled his eyes. Of course Barry's biggest worry at the moment was that he was being silly; not the villains cooing over him like a couple of mother hens. Typical.

“Look Doll, no one is leaving. Neither of us want you on your own right now. And even if I wanted to leave, Len would never forgive me if I left his little crush all alone here.” Mick rolled his eyes at the deadly glare that Len sent his way. 

‘That surely wasn’t true, was it?’ Singh wondered to himself. ‘This must be another part of their plan to get to Allen. Maybe for info on a case?’

Allen giggled softly. “So what you guys are saying is that you care about me? Make way for the next superheroes of Central City.” The others snorted. The laughter in Len’s eyes died when Allen slumped against him with a whine.

“Scarlet, what is it? Are you hiding an injury? Are you okay? Talk to me.”

If not for the potentially life threatening situation, Singh would have laughed at the panic.

“I…haven’t eaten today. They took all my food and change and my cards. I had enough time to cancel my cards but I haven’t been able to go to the bank to get money so I couldn’t buy lunch today.”

“Scarlet, you idiot! That’s it! You are going to go to your room and sleep on the blanket nest we have made for you. While you sleep we will get you food so you don’t fucking well become hypoglycaemic.” Before Barry could object, he was being dragged to his bedroom. Several minutes later, Singh saw Len emerge from the doorway leading to Barry’s room. He listened intently as Len pulled out his phone to make a call.

 

“Hey Hartley. Yeah the kid’s pretty tired. Got beat up by the bastards. Having any luck on who they might be? Excellent. Let me know when you find out more. Also, do you know how Mardon’s going with his task? Fine, talk to you soon.” With that, Snart hung up. Singh was beyond confused at this point. Snart acted like he cared about Barry. But why would he? He never cared for anyone outside of his Rogues. What made Barry so special? He also was on edge at the thought of what Mardon’s task could be. He didn’t have to wait long to find out.

About half an hour after the phone call, several thuds could be heard from a room on the other side of the apartment. Mick had disappeared at some point in that time to get several large bags full of food and groceries, which Len had methodically placed in the cupboards and in the fridge. The sound of the thuds had drawn the attention of the two men and they entered the room the sounds had come from. Grunting and growling filled the apartment from the other room until finally the two men reappeared carrying a small dining room table. The next half an hour was filled with the two men moving the new furniture around the house until it seemed mostly in place. Smiling proudly at each other, they walked toward the bedroom and woke Barry. 

Even though Singh was supposed to be scornful of the two dangerous criminals, it was very difficult to dislike anyone who made Barry look like that. David never wanted to forget the way Barry’s tired and scared eyes had widened with delight when he saw the kitchen and living room, now fully decked out in furniture. Without hesitation Barry leapt up and tackled Mick in a hug, which Mick gladly returned, lifting Barry off the ground and swinging him in a circle, all the while trapped safely in his arms. Len watched the two with what Singh would almost call a tender expression, before taking Barry out of Mick’s arms and escorting him to the couch. Len and Mick threw themselves onto the small couch, leaving no space for Barry. Allen looked about to try and sit on the ground when Mick reached out and grabbed his waist, leaving him no choice but to settle on Mick’s lap, leaning against Mick’s chest, while Len grabbed his legs, guiding them to lie across his thighs. David couldn’t help but feel that they looked painfully domestic.

“Do you mind if I sleep? I’m so tired! Of course, I’m not kicking you out! I’m also not forcing you to stay while I sleep! That’d be boring for you! I just-“ Len cut him off.

“We’re staying. Just sleep. No one will dare hurt you while we’re here.”

Barry smiled shyly at the two men before nestling closer to them and dozing off. True to their word, they didn’t leave, and instead kept a watchful eye on him.

“I want to burn whoever did this.”

Though Singh didn’t condone the action, he did support the sentiment 100%. He hated seeing the kid scared. Len nodded in agreement.

“I know Mick, but we can’t go off doing anything. We promised the kid no killing people. I don’t think his noble heart would allow any exceptions.”

So Barry was the reason that Snart had stopped killing? David wasn’t sure why he bothered to be shocked. The kid apparently had the most dangerous criminals in Central City wrapped around his little finger, and probably didn’t even know it. He zoned back in to the discussion as Len continued.

“I’ve been getting Hartley to look into it. Last time I checked, he’d nearly solved the case. When he’s done, we’ll send off our findings to the CCPD. Let them deal with it. Barry would like that better than us killing people for him.”

God, Barry really had got them around his little finger. They were going the straight and narrow route for him.

Reluctantly, Singh backed away from the door that he had hid behind. He felt that, despite the wide-open windows and dangerous criminals in his house, Barry was in no danger tonight.

 

The next morning, he smiled to himself as Barry clambered through the door of the precinct on time, complete with a packed lunch, grinning ear to ear. His smiled grew as some of his officers marched into the precinct, hauling along a group of seven burley men with them. Some looked a little charred, and others he could have sworn showed signs of mild frostbite.


End file.
